Page 49 - Prehistoric Animals

Die-Nor-Nis

Dinornis

Dinornis, (Terrible bird) a giant Moa, is an extinct genus belonging to the Moa family (Aves;
Dinornithiformes). It was endemic to New Zealand, but due to over hunting by man, disappeared
around the 14 or 15 century. Although there are several different species of the Moa only two be-
th
th
long to the genus Dinornis; D. novaezealandiae on the North Island and, D. robustus on the South
island.

Named by Richard Owen in, 1843, many subsequent fossil finds were mistakenly thought to
be of the genus Dinornis and named accordingly. After extensive study, however, this was later
whittled down to the two genuine species named above*. Another surprising outcome of these stud-
ies was the discovery that the female of the genus Dinornis was much larger than the male; making
it unique amongst flightless birds. Standing upright around, 3.6 metres and weighing in around
278 kg this female towered above its male partner and made it one of the tallest flightless birds on
the planet.

Dinornis had a long neck, however, in proportion to its large body, a very small head. As an
herbivore, its broad beak curved downward at the tip allowing it to, snip and rip at the lush vegeta-
tion, the main source of food for this very successful flightless bird. Once thought to be covered in
feathers its torso its now known to have been covered in a dense reddish brown hair-like structure
that did not extend to its legs, throat and part of its head.

Dinornis was an egg layer. These eggs were very large and would have been high in protein,
making them a prime source of food for the Polynesian settlers that eventually landed on the is-
lands. With overhunting; the plundering of its nests and the possible land clearance for farming,
Dinornis was eventually driven into extinction; 100 to 200 years before Europeans landed on the
islands.
*There are two other branches of this species labelled A & B, not yet fully studied, that may in the future, produce more species that
will be included in the genus Dinornis.